Friday, May 20, 2011

Home Time in Gamboa

Rachel and David, Wren and Simon live in a quiet little town halfway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It was built to house engineers working on the Panama Canal. The houses are all elevated with the first floor where a normal second floor is to let in any breeze that happens by. There are ceiling fans and air vents and big overhanging eaves, all to keep things cool. I wish I'd taken more pictures of the inside of R&D's house because it's very charming, full of fun fabrics, rugs, quilts, pictures, Panamanian arts and crafts.




Here's the kitchen, David and Toby chatting, a picture by Linda on the wall. Out the window are hummingbirds at the bird feeder and agoutis running over the lawn, like very short-haired, tailless squirrels.





Rachel wanted to liven up the patio walls, so we got lots of bougainvillea in Panama City and brought back ceramic pots from El Valle, and had a big planting day just before we left, including some packets of seeds I brought from the US. The arugula sprouted two days after it was planted--that's fast!




Gwen would like to show her LA cousins how adept she is at eating pasta, her favorite (and just about only) dish.





And show too how much she loves her baby brother.





We visited Rachel's and David's offices just a few blocks from their home (very convenient). The father of Gwen's good friend Freya has painted wonderful pictures on the walls--here are bats, one looking like it's echo locating those tiny Tungara frogs. The black wiggy-looking things on the front of David's desk are mist nets used to catch bats.




And the great mustard yellow bathroom with a lizard on the floor and a frog foot (is it?) on the seat.




So we left peaceful Gamboa after a wonderful almost two weeks there--so cozy to be with Rachel and David. We fell in love with Simon Orion, a very sweet and wise little person, just beginning to smile and learning to coo.





And fell in love again with Gwen Wren, the girl of many curls, bright eyes, funny faces and wonderful thoughts. Oh, and a few really well-learned songs (Baa, Baa Black Sheep.....)




Bye-bye. See you in Chocorua!




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